Lumber Prices and Renovating in Simcoe County: What Matters
Why we’re paying attention.
As real estate advisors working daily with homeowners, sellers, and investors across Barrie, Innisfil, and Simcoe County, we watch more than just sale prices and interest rates. Construction and renovation costs directly influence resale value, project timing, and return on investment. Lumber pricing is one of the inputs that quietly shapes those decisions.
After the extreme volatility seen during the pandemic, lumber prices began stabilizing through late 2021 and into 2022. While this does not mean renovation costs have suddenly become “cheap,” it does signal a more predictable environment for homeowners planning upgrades or investors underwriting projects.
What Drove Lumber Prices Up — and Why That Matters Locally
Pandemic-era lumber spikes were driven by reduced production capacity, labour shortages, transportation disruptions, and surging demand from both new construction and renovations. In Simcoe County, this played out in two ways:
- Renovation budgets expanded quickly, often mid-project.
- Some sellers delayed improvements, opting to sell “as is.”
For buyers and investors, this meant higher acquisition costs and tighter margins. For sellers, it affected which upgrades actually made financial sense before listing.
Stabilizing Prices Don’t Mean Instant Savings
Although industry lumber prices eased, retail pricing lagged behind. Many suppliers and retailers were still moving higher-cost inventory, and futures-based pricing slowed the pass-through to consumers. The result: homeowners often felt little immediate relief.
From our perspective, this reinforces an important point we regularly advise clients on: renovation timing matters as much as renovation scope.
In Barrie and Innisfil, we’ve seen stronger outcomes when clients focused on high-impact, market-aligned upgrades rather than full-scale renovations driven by emotion or outdated assumptions.
What This Means for Renovating Before Selling
Stable lumber pricing helps reduce risk, but it does not automatically improve resale outcomes. The real question remains:
Will this renovation return more than it costs in today’s Simcoe County market?
In many cases, the answer depends on neighbourhood, buyer profile, and supply conditions. Kitchens, bathrooms, flooring, and exterior improvements continue to outperform structural or highly personalized upgrades.
This is where local expertise matters. Renovating without understanding buyer behaviour in Barrie versus Innisfil can lead to over-improvement and reduced net returns.
What Investors Should Be Watching
For investors, lumber stability supports more reliable project forecasting. However, wood is only one component. Labour availability, appliance delays, mechanical systems, and municipal timelines continue to affect build and renovation schedules across Simcoe County.
We advise investors to view lumber pricing as one data point — not a green light — and to stress-test projects against multiple cost scenarios before proceeding.
Our Advisory Takeaway
Lumber price stabilization is helpful, but it does not replace strategy. Whether you are renovating to sell, upgrading to improve long-term value, or planning an investment project, decisions should be grounded in local market behaviour — not national headlines.
As licensed real estate professionals with decades of experience advising homeowners and investors in Simcoe County, we share insights like this to help clients make informed, defensible decisions that protect capital and support long-term outcomes.
If you are considering renovations, evaluating whether upgrades make sense before selling, or planning an investment project in Barrie or Innisfil, we’re happy to provide guidance specific to your property and goals.
Schedule a confidential consultation with the MovingSimcoe.com team
Source reference: Canadian Real Estate Magazine, “Lumber prices: Canada forecasted for a calmer market in 2022.”
